HIV positive, recovering from cancer in his brain and right kidney, last spring Gregory Stovall was facing yet another serious problem: homelessness.

By Vianna Davila :
November 30, 2009

San Antonio AIDS Foundation volunteer Zachary Smith (left) speaks with Gregory Stovall at a transitional living facility on East Carson Street. Stovall has lived there for the past two months. The San Antonio AIDS Foundation bought the two story home so clients living there can have a home like environment while looking for a more permanent place to live.

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HIV positive, recovering from cancer in his brain and right kidney, last spring Gregory Stovall was facing yet another serious problem: homelessness.

With no family or friends in town, Stovall eventually turned to the San Antonio AIDS Foundation for assisted nursing care as he recovered from kidney removal surgery in May. When his time at SAAF was up, the 47-year-old Stovall still had no place to live.

But he found support and shelter just a few blocks away, at the SAAF's new transitional living facility for homeless men, women and transgender clients living with HIV/AIDS.

"Having a place to stay and be able to sleep eases things a lot," said Stovall, who was diagnosed in 2001. "It takes a lot of worry off your mind."

While the public has become more familiar with the plight of patients living with HIV/AIDS, less is known about the homeless population that's also infected.

"I think it's a population that people don't think about," said Jose Cervantes, SAAF director of case management.

The San Antonio AIDS Foundation is one of many nonprofits the San Antonio Express-News is profiling in its annual Grace of Giving series, which runs daily through Christmas.

Today, in honor of World AIDS Day, the foundation is holding extended HIV/AIDS testing from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at their main offices at 818 E. Grayson St.

The transitional living facility was a new and unexpected venture for the foundation, when they took over this summer. In June, Hope Action Care - the local nonprofit that had run a similar transitional living facility for 17 years - lost federal funding and had to close.

"It was really from one day to the next they said they were going to close down," Cervantes said. Knowing the closure would cause an immediate gap in care, SAAF quickly moved to purchase a home at 424 E. Carson St. Within weeks, the center was open.

The foundation has the capability to house 20 patients. One room has been set aside for both women and transgender patients, but most clients are male, said Mark Castillo, a lead case worker at the facility.

Currently, 13 patients are living in the home. All patients must get a referral to the facility. The foundation is working to secure funds it needs to run the facility for a minimum of 15 people. The budget includes money for housing, meals, monthly bus passes and case management.

"We're finding out there's a huge need," said Cervantes. Nearly every day, the foundation receives calls from patients leaving hospitals, rehabilitation centers and even jails, all of them in need of somewhere to go, he said.

Often, HIV/AIDS patients don't feel comfortable in traditional homeless shelters, and they don't get the appropriate medical care, Cervantes said. The transitional facility coordinates with SAAF to manage their medical care and provide them three free meals a day.

"Here, they're accepted for their HIV status," Cervantes said. "It's somewhere they can take their medication, go to the doctor, feel comfortable and also be with their peers."

While the rent is free, there is a cost: Many clients living in the facility are required to attend substance-abuse counseling. They are subject to curfews, and they must work toward finding their own place to live. A case manager works with them to help fill out job applications.

No one can live in the house for more than three months, except in the case of extenuating circumstances.

So far, clients are slowly getting back on their feet. Stovall, who lost his apartment after a brief stint in jail, anticipates living in his own apartment later this month, with help from SAMMinistries.

He has one message for everyone, whether they are homeless or not: Get checked for HIV/AIDS.

"It's nothing to be afraid of," said Stovall. "It's not a death sentence. You're just living with HIV. You're not dying."